Collecting and preserving the oral histories of remote Indian communities and the craftspeople whose ways of life are changing, is the mission of Dr Indira Chowdhury. Education and the internet are seeing children living in remote agricultural and tribal areas wanting to move away rather than following their family traditions.
But a surprising number of traditional crafts are surviving - because artisinal practitioners are adapting their work to reflect contemporary life. Dr Chowdhury is a founding member of the Oral History Association of India, and is also the founder of Archival Resources for Contemporary History in Bengaluru, now known as ARCH@Srish.
Photo: Supplied
